The Secret to a 117-Year-Old’s Life
Welcome to this week’s edition of Public Health Without Politics. Progress in health rarely happens overnight—it comes from everyday choices that add up. I hope these stories motivate you to keep showing up for yourself, one good decision at a time.
Trending in Health this Week
Hold the Diet Coke (maybe): Drinking even under one can of soda (sugary or diet) per day is linked to a higher risk of fatty liver disease—especially diet soda, which may increase risk up to 60%. As always, take anything that says “linked” under advisement. “Linked” does not mean “caused.” It also does not say that drinking diet soft drinks is worse than sugared soft drinks.
Intuitive Eating’s Comeback: Intuitive eating—listening to your body’s hunger and fullness signals rather than dieting rules—is gaining popularity. If you want to listen, slow down as it takes, on average, 20 minutes after becoming full to realize it.
Rethinking the Weighted Vest: The evidence is thin—wearing a weighted vest has not proven to strengthen muscles or bones, though it may slightly boost calorie burn and cardiovascular demand.
Short Bursts of Exercise are Good for You: Just a few minutes of activity—like climbing stairs or doing squats—can significantly boost heart and lung health, even in people who rarely work out.
Mind–Body Boost: Combining physical exercise with mental training improves overall thinking and memory skills in older adults more than doing either one alone.
Japan’s Secret to Longevity: Daily group exercise—like morning stretches and community sports—helps keep people healthy, connected, and resilient at every age.
Legumes Over Meat: In a 6-week trial, men who replaced most of their meat intake with beans and peas lowered LDL cholesterol, shed extra weight, and didn’t suffer major nutrient shortfalls.
The Secret to a 117-Year-Old’s Life
A recent study of one of the world’s oldest people suggests longevity arises from a “balance between nature and nurture.”
The woman had strong genes, but she also enjoyed good sleep, a Mediterranean-style diet, an active social life, and daily pursuits like gardening, walking, reading, and playing piano.
Key Points:
Longevity likely stems from both inherited traits and lifestyle choices.
Sleep quality, diet, movement, and social connection played major roles.
Simple, meaningful daily activities—time with family and friends, reading, gardening—supported her well-being.
My thoughts: Note that many of the activities mentioned here are low stress. At some point, later in life, you must compare additional stress with more success. Is a shorter lifespan worth that extra few dollars or fame?
Walmart’s Nod to MAHA
Walmart will drop synthetic dyes and 30 other artificial ingredients from its store brands by 2027. The retailer says 90% of products are already dye-free, and its shift toward “cleaner” foods could pressure other grocers to follow.
Key Points:
All store brands will be reformulated by 2027.
Aims to remove dyes and artificial additives.
Move could accelerate the “clean-label” trend nationwide.
My thoughts: Walmart is a leader in the food industry so look to other brands to follow. Personally, I believe that if we had complete ingredient labels that listed every chemical, natural and synthetic, and we still wanted to eat only clean foods, we would be left with eating—nothing.
Inspirational Quote
“Motivation gets you started. Habit keeps you going.”
—Jim Ryun
Have a great week,
—Richard